Captain Beefheart, a.k.a. Don Van Vliet, dies at 69

[swag]

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Avant-garde rock legend and visual artist Don Van Vliet, who performed under the name Captain Beefheart, passed away today at age 69. A representative of New York City’s Michael Werner Gallery, which hosted several shows of his paintings, confirms the sad news to EW. Van Vliet died of complications from multiple sclerosis at a hospital in Northern California this morning.



Read more: http://music-mix.ew.com/2010/12/17/captain-beefheart-dies/

[MrSlayer]

1. Ah man.

That sucks. He was a fucking crazy dude. R.I.P.

[saras]

12. We'll miss him

My head is my only house unless it rains.

Today, it's raining.

[stlsaxman]

14. that's a wonderful epitaph... thank you, sara!

indeed, today it's raining.

[Ohio Joe]

2. RIP - nt

[leveymg]

3. As if this day wasn't enough of a bummer. RIP, Cappy.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

4. He was Zappa before Zappa was Zappa.

Rest In Peace.

Same Old Blues - a most excellent JJ Cale blues cover by the Captain.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D836o2rIGqA

[rfranklin]

6. Actually, Zappa was producer on Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica

They were contemporaries.

[Brother Buzz]

23. They attended the same high school

Zappa graduated

[mrfrapp]

5. I don't like this news n/t

[Kat45]

7. I just came onto DU to post this, but it's already here.

Interesting timing. I'm going to see Dweezil Zappa Plays Zappa this weekend.

RIP Captain Beefheart.

[Sonoman]

8. I can see him waving his handkerchief.

My paraphrase of the coolest closing line, ever.

Take it slow when you take it, 'cause its got a long way to ride.

Glide sideways, Don,
Sonoman

[stlsaxman]

15. my ears stand up when i hear that sound... this time it sounds like it's for keeps

:cry:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2ZMOKLsiuY

[myrna minx]

9. Wow.

:-(

[DontTreadOnMe]

10. Girl you thought he was a man

But he was a muffin
He hung around till you found
That he didn't know nuthin

Girl you thought he was a man
But he only was a-puffin
No cries is heard in the night
As a result of him stuffin

[DinahMoeHum]

31. ". . .Captain Beefheart on vocals and soprano sax and madness. . ."

Bongo Fury (live album) - Muffin Man

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcm7uJ74XFI

:toast:

[onenote]

11. bummer. RIP Captain

[stlsaxman]

13. NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

HE was the real thing...

that's it- 2010 officially SUCKS.

:cry:

[Enthusiast]

16. Love love love Captain Beefheart.

And my favorite Zappa LP is Bongo Fury.

[alfredo]

17. Beefheart "The Torture Never Stops."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVUgQEnxC0g&feature=related

[alfredo]

18. Come on down to the big dig

Smithsonian Institute Blues

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8LLN0NEwQg

[Octafish]

19. A great man of our time and in any age...

Multiverses more than a Renaissance man, Mr. Van Vliet was a heroic peace maker.

[stlsaxman]

25. Thanks, Neon Meat Dream Of A Octafish!

you are absolutely right!

[Cetacea]

28. +1

KR

[Cetacea]

30. From Rolling Stone

This article appeared in the May 14, 1970 issue of Rolling Stone. The issue is available in the online archive.

At age 29, Captain Beefheart, also known as Don Van Vliet, lives in seclusion and near poverty in a small house in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. Although it appeared on several occasions in the past that he would rise to brilliant stardom as a singer and bandleader, circumstances have always intervened to force him into oblivion. In his six years in the music business he has appeared in public no more than 25 times.

Captain Beefheart Dead At Age 69

Since virtually no one has ever seen him play, stories about his life and art have taken on the character of legend, that is, of endless tall tales. People who saw him at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco three years ago will now tell you, "I heard that he's living in Death Valley somewhere" or "Didn't he just finally give up?" But there is considerably more to the man that the legend indicates.

The fact is that Don Van Vliet is alive, healthy and happy and putting together a new Magic Band to go on tour soon. As his recent album Trout Mask Replica testifies he is one of the most original and gifted creators of music in America today. If all goes well, the next six months should see the re-emergence of Captain Beefheart's erratic genius into the world and the acceptance of his work by the larger audience it has always deserved.


full:
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-odyssey-of-captain-beefheart-rolling-stones-1970-cover-story-20101217

[zappaman]

20. RIP

bummer

[timtom]

21. NOOOOooooo!

I never got to see him do his Lo-yo-yo stuff...

(Well I DID get to see him in concert in 1972 in Colorado.)

RIP Captain.

[madrchsod]

22. oh no...the captain is dead......

one of the best musician and bands in the 60`s.

[Cal Carpenter]

24. Aw man

:(

[nolabear]

26. RIP CB. Whoof...an era is coming to a close.

[Warpy]

27. He will be sorely missed

but what's really sad is how few people seem to know who he was.

He had a profound effect on a lot of musicians.

[Cal Carpenter]

29. All Beefheart for 2 HOURS!!! Stream online starting now...

Stream it live:

www.wcbn.org


Just started.

Student run radio from U of Michigan

They have great PSA's on this station too.

[Warpy]

32. Also on WZBC

He's right up their "no commercial potential" format alley, so it could go on for many hours to come. Yes, they stream.

I'm taking a break from radio and listening to "Bat Chain Puller," something that they haven't played yet. WZBC is playing stuff off "Safe as Milk" and Strictly Personal," his two first and most accessible albums.

[Cal Carpenter]

33. This DJ is all over the place so far

You can see the playlist here:

http://www.wcbn.org/ryan-playlist/searchplaylist.php

Sometimes they're slow to update. It's a great station though. It's not an NPR sorta public radio - it's college basement stuff. It's pretty cool.

[Withywindle]

34. Oh God no.

:cry:

I guess it's not a shock, I know he's been really sick for a long time. But his music has been so important to me and my family. My dad's a big fan - 'Trout Mask Replica' is one of the first albums I remember hearing as a toddler (and it scared the shit out of me.)


:cry:

Grow fins and go back to the water again, Don. You'll be missed.

[xchrom]

35. sad, sad news. nt

[Heidi]

36. Sadly recommended.

:kick:

[toddaa]

37. Damn, ruined my morning

This year sucks. Dio, Sleazy, and now Captain Beefheart.

[infidel dog]

38. RIP. As if things weren't grim enough already...

Farewell, Cap. May iguanas and small appliance parts go with thee.

[PurityOfEssence]

39. Guess he finally got his last decal licked off...

Underappreciated, to say the least.

[BeHereNow]

40. Don used to call my boyfriend late at night- here is a link to a song he played me over and over....

Years ago, I was in love with a fellow named Jeff- he was
better known as Moris Tepper, of the Captain Beefheart band.
Moris and Don had a deep and volatile love- Don would call in the middle of the night,
and Moris would scream at him for waking us up, so I would get on the phone
with him so Moris could go back to sleep- he was a fascinating conversationalist
and talking with him was always like a wonderful acid trip. He was nothing less
than a genius madman. His words became pictures in my mind- he talked like he played and painted.
Anyway, one of my memorable nights on the phone with him, he kept playing this one
record over and over- raving over how brilliant it was; thought I would share it with my DU buddies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQlAYfUtzh4 "One String Sam"

If you have never heard Moris Tepper, may I suggest you visit his web site:

http://candlebone.com/pages/musicmp3s.shtml

Check out the song "Simple Math" my current favorite.
and be sure to check out his paintings too.

RIP Don, you crazy beautiful man.

BHN